Racist band associated with a leader of "Right Sector" in Ukraine to play in Czech Republic today

Today, Saturday, 27 April, a concert is scheduled to be performed by one of the most influential music groups on the neo-Nazi scene from the countries of the former Soviet Union, the Ukrainian band Сокира Перуна (Axe of Perun or Sokira Peruna), infamous for its harshly antisemitic, racist lyrics. The concert will happen in Hluboké Mašůvky near Znojmo.

Originally rumored to be happening in Brno, it has now been reported that the concert will take place at the Boomerang Club in that particular village. The lead singer of the band is a member of the top leadership of the extreme-right "Right Sector" party in Ukraine and a supporter of the paramilitary, ultra-nationalist Azov Battalion.

It can be anticipated that at least 100 neo-Nazis from abroad and from all over the Czech Republic will assemble for the concert. Anti-Fascist Action issued a press release about the event yesterday, which was published by the Antifa.cz server.

The Ukrainian "White Power metal" band is one of the most significant of the neo-Nazi music groups from the countries of the former Soviet Union. "They've been performing under that name since 1998 and have released 11 albums so far full of openly antisemitic, racist lyrics," says Lenka Mandlová of Anti-Fascist Action.

The band is included on many compilations such as the one released to support the East European sections of the militant neo-Nazi organization Blood & Honour or the Greek ultra-right party Golden Dawn. The central figure in the band is the former guitarist and current lead singer Arseniy Bilodub (born Arseniy Klimachev) who is a member of the upper leadership of "Right Sector" and is very close to the Dynamo Kyiv football hooligans.

At the same time Bilodub/Klimachev owns his own clothing line, Svastone, which is a favorite of neo-Nazis mainly because its controversial motifs play with Fascist and Nazi symbols. The line also uses motifs referencing the Azov Battalion.

"Because of his activities and doubtless also due to the fact that he has never concealed his political convictions, Bilodub enjoys significant respect on the Ukrainian ultra-right scene," Mandlová explains. His band is coming to Brno because of its many years of friendship with neo-Nazis in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Those relations are maintained above all with the neo-Nazi band from Slovakia called "Krátký proces" (Short Trial, also known as "Juden Mord") and with the Might Is Right shop, which is associated with the Nazi-hooligan scene in South Bohemia and focuses exclusively on selling ultra-right brands. It is exactly this shop that distributes the Svastone clothing brand in the Czech Republic.

The Brno concert is also meant to feature the Liberec-based Saubande group, as well as two Slovak bands, Old Firm and Podpoľanica. Saubande, like Sokira Peruna, performs almost exclusively at closed ultra-right events, and members of the band were active in the no longer existing neo-Nazi network Autonomous Nationalists.

Saubande has good relationships with the neo-Nazi OPOS Records label, thanks to whom they perform in Germany. The organizer of the Brno concert is Petr Cup, a member of the football "ultras" group called Orthodox Fans Brno.

SELECTED LYRICS BY SOKIRA PERUNA

"You act like a nigger, you dress like a monkey/you'll eat bananas and climb in the palms/Are you a white person? It's a disgrace/ The race war will begin with you" (Rapper) "

"Fields and forests where the Aryans lived/now the Jews are here, we can't forgive this /I see depression, chaos and decay/Is degeneration the fate of the race?"  (European Dream)

"White Power Skinheads/ Fight for White Paradise /White Power Skinheads /We'll defend Aryan rights"                                                                                                          (WP Skinheads)